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From NFTs to the Metaverse: 5 Popular Tech Terms for Investors
Investors are being presented with an array of new technology investment trends, but understanding them and discerning between them can often be confusing.
The quickly developing technology investment space can feel overwhelming, but newcomers shouldn’t necessarily be too concerned about catching up.
Experts have previously told the Investing News Network that those worried about being left behind should remember this is just the starting period for many of these new avenues.
Read on for a closer look at some of the exciting new topics being explored in the tech world today.
1. & 2. Blockchain powers the cryptocurrency craze
Cryptocurrencies have made the leap from fringe investment to mainstream appeal. There's been an explosion of available options in the market, but the most widely adopted choices are bitcoin and ethereum.
Bitcoin offers investors a new method to grow their capital through a decentralized system. Bitcoin, like other cryptocurrencies, isn’t kept physically, but holders can watch their stakes through a public ledger.
Bitcoin has gone through an outrageous price history since its launch, and it has caught the attention of the entire investment market in the process. The coin can now even be accessed via exchange-traded funds, which have dominated market talk recently as investment options proliferate.
That said, it's worth noting that the current cryptocurrency landscape has created a heavy amount of volatility; experts say investors will have to get used to it if they want to enter the market.
Market participants also need to be wary of scams — one report shows that in 2021 there was a mammoth US$14 billion worth of crypto scams in the market.
3. NFTs lead a new path to art and engagement
Another trend that's launched a new investment model involves the possibilities behind unique art technology.
Non-fungible tokens, commonly known as NFTs, point to a new age of unique digital assets. NFTs have caught on as a buzzword as more people develop an appreciation for the uses for blockchain technology.
Effectively an NFT is a one-of-a kind item for collectors or investors to purchase. NFTs are tied to the ethereum blockchain, where their information is backed and where users can access them.
While NFTs encompass a wide range of assets, images and drawings have become the most popular.
NFTs have also been tied to the gaming market as gaming companies have expressed interest in offering unique in-game assets. However, this idea has not been entirely well received by players and game developers, and as a result several NFT projects in gaming have been altered or canceled.
The impact of NFTs in gaming remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: NFTs are a potentially engaging opportunity for those looking for new art investment solutions.
4. Metaverse attracts the eyes of tech's biggest leaders
The metaverse is a concept that's tricky to pin down, but from an investor standpoint it essentially involves betting on a digital landscape inhabited by other users.
The metaverse gained an enormous amount of interest when social media company Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:FB).
The Facebook platform continues to operate normally, but the company's new Meta branding represents the bet its leadership team wants to pursue: a digital world that users can easily access and spend quality time in.
The initial steps to develop this digital world have come from branded virtual meeting spaces.
The digital landscape concept has also created a new investment proposal: metaverse real estate. Investors excited by this space have poured millions into its future, buying parcels of "land" in the metaverse.
While there is a long way to go in terms of building the metaverse, there is already proof that people will spend significant amounts of time and money in digital spaces with friends or strangers — the video game market has offered plenty of these environments for years in the form of massively multiplayer online games.
5. Push for Web3 leads mindset for new trend
The last new opportunity on this list is Web3, which refers to a new version of the internet, one that many supporters are clamoring for within the tech industry. Web3 supposes an internet landscape that doesn’t rely on current platforms or companies.
The existing market is largely dominated by leading tech companies, but Web3 would not use services from players like Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Meta Platforms and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).
“With Web3, we will be able to build and govern our own decentralized networks on the internet,” Shaun Heng, vice president and chief of staff at CoinMarketCap, told GOBankingRates. “This allows for the possibility of autonomous, self-governed networks that will be completely democratized, without leaders.”
Currently, Web3 is one of the murkiest concepts among all these technology trends, but it's an idea that is attracting a healthy level of attention and among tech-savvy people.
According to a report from Business Insider, tech recruiters are seeing massive demand for roles within the cryptocurrency space, as well as other decentralized tech ventures such as Web3.
“That's largely because people want to work on what is most exciting in technology, recruiters said. Right now, that's crypto and Web3,” the report indicates.
Investor takeaway
All of these exciting new investment possibilities share one similarity: they represent opportunity.
It will be vital for investors who want to join in to build their understanding of key terms and ideas so they can stay ahead of the curve and potentially profit.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
- Bitcoin: A Brief Price History of the First Cryptocurrency | INN ›
- Blockchain Trends 2021: Market Sees Increasing Appreciation | INN ›
- Investing in Blockchain ETFs | INN ›
- Ways to Invest in Blockchain | INN ›
- How to Invest in NFTs: The Market and the Opportunity | INN ›
- Lithosphere Blockchain Confirms Upcoming Burn of 2.5 Trillion Terra Luna Classic During FINESSE P2E Gameplay ›
- Stardust and Dr Disrespect's Midnight Society Make History with Nearly 400,000 NFTs Minted in under 17 Hours ›
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Bryan is a Senior Editor with INN. After graduating from the Langara journalism program he did some freelance reporting with community newspapers in British Columbia. He initially wrote about the life science space for INN and now spends his time covering the marijuana market, from Canadian LPs to US-based companies, and the impact of this sector on investors.
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